Msc Room AIPS HelpSheet version 0.

2 (2/7/2004) > mcat - list all the image files in your catalogue
> getn n - select the file specified by n
This document was compiled by Megan Argo. This is intended as a useful memory aid, not a user guide. If > imhead - look at the fits header
you are new to AIPS and want to do any serious imaging then it is highly recommended that you read through
the relevent sections of the cookbook, available as hardcopy in any of the student offices, or online at the Simple display commands
NRAO's website (www.nrao/edu/aips/). Some of the commands here are specific to interferometer data, if you > tvlod - load the selected image onto the tv display
have single dish data then consult chapter 10 of the cookbook. > tvinit - clear all graphics and images from the tv
> tvwin - draw a window on the tv
Before starting AIPS > tvfiddle - adjust the grey scale and zoom on the tv
setenv DATA '/some/dir' - set the environment variable DATA to point to /some/dir > tvpseudo - adjust the colour of the image on the tv
setenv RUNFIL '/some/dir' - set up the environment variable to where your runfiles are stored > grcl - clear any graphics on the tv, does not clear images
xdisplay - run this if you are running aips on another machine but still want a tv > imstat - report statistics from a window on the tv
> tvlabel - put axes labels (RA, Dec) on the tv
Starting up
aips - start up aips on your machine Displaying uv data
aips tv=illapa:cluster8 - start up aips on cluster8 with a tv on illapa (assuming you are sat at > go listr - display a table in the command window (or the "crt")
illapa) > optype 'scan'; go listr - displays a scan listing in the command window
aips da=aplu - start up aips on your machine but make the data area on aplu available > optype 'matx'; go listr - displays the visibilities as a matrix in the command window
aips notv - start aips without a tv > go prtan - print the antenna table
> go uvplt - plot visibilities on the tv (has lots of options for displayin different
AIPS tasks, verbs, etc things)
Aips has a huge collection of commands. Some are called tasks, but there are also verbs, adverbs and
procedures. Tasks are run in the background allowing you to continue typing other commands in aips. Flagging commands
Verbs however are generally shorter programs which run in the foreground. Procedures are like scripts that > about editing - show a list of useful editing commands
run a series of commands. Adverbs set parameters that tasks, verbs and procedures use. Note that the > go edita - interactive editing based on TY/SN/CL tables
names of AIPS commands can be shortened as much as you like, as long as the sequence is still unique. > go editr - interactive baseline based visibility editor
For example, tvinit can be shortened to tvin, but not to tv because there are other tasks such as tvstat and > go tvflg - interactive flaggin using the tv, very powerful program
tvwin. To run tasks, verbs and procedures, type > go ibled - interactive baseline based visibility editor
> go TASK > go snedt - interactive SN/CL table editor using the TV
> VERB > go rfi - look for evil RFI in uv data
> run PROCEDURE > go uvflg - flag uv data based on inputs (non-interactive)
When you start aips, another three windows open: a tv, a message server and a tek server. To make sure a > go uvfnd - finds specific data based on inputs to look for problems
command sends its output to the tv (rather than to a plot file) make sure you set
> dotv 1 Some calibration commands
or, for text based tasks, to make sure the output goes to the command window (rather than the printer or a > about calibrat - show a list of useful calibration commands
file), set > go setjy - set the flux of the main calibrator(s)
> docrt 1 > go getjy - determine other calibrator flux densities
> go calib - determine complex gains
Getting help > go clcal - merges and smooths SN tables to create a CL table
> help TASK - get help with the task TASK (or verb, adverb, procedure) > go fring - fringe fitting
> explain TASK - get help with the task TASK (or verb, etc...)
Some imaging commands
To check the inputs > about imaging - show a list of useful imaging commands
> inp TASK > go imagr - performs cleaning/imaging of data (including cubes)
> tget TASK - get the parameters that were used last time the task was run > go apcln - deconvolve using the CLEAN algorithm
> tput TASK - save the parameters currently set for task > go horus - makes images from uv data applying calibration if required
> go vtess - deconvolves using a MEM method
Files > go regrd - regrids an image from one coordinate frame to another
> infil 'DATA:file'; go fitld - read in a fits file from disk (or tape)
> outfil'DATA:file'; go fittp - write a fits file to disk (or tape) Some spectral commands
> pcat - list all the files in your catalogue > about spectral - show a list of useful spectral commands
> ucat - list just the uv files in your catalogue > go ispec - plot the spectrum of the area boxed (e.g by tvwin)
 > go tvmov - step through the cube on the tv like a movie (very cool!)
> go trans - transpose a cube
> go uvlin - remove the continuum from uv data cube
> go imlin - remove continuum from an image cube

Some plotting commands

> about plot - show a list of useful plotting commands
> go uvplt - plots uv data
> go cntr - make a contour plot
> go kntr - make a contour/grey scale plot
> go snplt - plots SN/TY/CL tables
> go tkpl - send a plot file to the TEK server

Output
> dotv -1; go TASK
> outfil'file.ps'; go lwpla
> outfil''; go lwpla
> outprint'file'; prtmsg
> clrmsg
- make a plotfile using the output from TASK
- send the last plotfile to a file specified by /tmp/file.ps
- send the last plotfile to the printer
- print the message buffer to the file specified by 'file'
- clear the message buffer (aips will complain when it gets too full)

To quit
> exit - exit aips
> kleenex - quit aips and kill all windows